Zelensky asks Trump for winter Patriot package
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- Zelensky told Axios in a Tuesday interview he asked Trump for an emergency "winter package" of Patriot air defense interceptors to counter Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
- Ukraine's Patriot interceptor stockpiles are flagged in the Axios report's "why it matters" framing — a supply gap that prompted the emergency request.
Why it matters: Russia's strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure combined with low Patriot interceptor stockpiles make this winter a high-stakes window for Kyiv's defenses. The emergency request puts Trump's Patriot-allocation decisions at the center of whether Ukraine's power grid holds through the cold months.
